


How Many Drinks

by PigSlay



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band), One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-02 23:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4078069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PigSlay/pseuds/PigSlay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Small Lauren and Louis friendship fic based off their night at that club in the UK together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Many Drinks

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know One Direction or Fifth Harmony. Although I did get those girls to bow down to me during a Meet and Greet at one point, so they must be cool. ;) 
> 
> This was supposed to *just* be focused on Louis and Lauren's friendship, but then I kinda Zouis-ed everywhere as well, so. (Zayn's not actually in the story, but Louis talks about him a lot when he's drinking.) But, it is still MOSTLY about Louren.

“So what have you been up to lately?” Lauren asks Louis, on her second shot and already feeling a little dizzy. She thinks that should be expected though, since everyone is probably a lightweight their first time drinking, or at least that’s what she’s telling herself to not feel ridiculous.

“Eh, not much,” Louis shrugs, also on his second shot and sounding as sober as ever. “Been doing some writing with the lads lately. It’s kind of weird not having Zayn around in our writing sessions anymore, to be honest.” He frowns slightly, finishing the shot and deciding to ask for a stronger drink this time. “I mean, he never really wrote much on our albums, at least not as much as Payno and I did, but I don’t know…”

Lauren feels slightly awkward having this conversation. Not because she doesn’t care, Zayn was her favorite member of One Direction. That’s just it though: Zayn was her favorite, she never really knew him at all, much less knew him as her best friend. She tries to imagine what it would be like if any of her girls left the band and she can’t picture herself doing much of anything other than wallowing in bed for the rest of her life.

“So you miss him a lot, huh?” Lauren frowns, finishing her shot and asking for another. It’s probably a ridiculous question to ask because duh he misses him. She’s just not sure what else she can do in this situation really.

“Miss him doesn’t even begin to cover it, Lauren,” Louis says, taking such a large sip that it makes Lauren cringe. How some people can drink strong alcohol like it’s almost nothing has always scared her honestly. “And that Twitter thing was so dumb. He thought I was mad at him, but I could never be mad at him.”

Lauren nods. “Yeah, I saw that. I was kind of worried about you to be honest.” Even though Zayn was her favorite, she couldn’t help but take Louis’ side on that one, because she knows what it’s like to have the people you love on social media get angry at you. She’s experienced it many times with her fans on tumblr. “I’m so sorry that happened. Are you alright now?”

“He called me and we worked it out,” Louis assures her. “Still though…” he keeps talking to her in between big sips. “I miss him so much. And the fact that he got so angry at me for something that wasn’t even about him, made me… scared. Cause even if he’s not a member of One Direction anymore, he’s still my best friend, and…” Louis pauses, his face a look of uncertainty.

“Louis?” Lauren asks concerned. “Are you alright? You’re not going to throw up are you? Because I have no experience with this kind of thing…”

Louis chuckles slightly. “Don’t worry about it.” He takes one final sip from his glass and asks for another one, even though Lauren can tell he’s so far gone (she’s probably about to be the same herself) and is worried he may actually throw up if he has another glass. “I’m probably too tipsy right now and shouldn’t be admitting this, but I trust you, so…” He coughs for a moment, then clears his throat. “The truth is, I have a crush on Zayn. I haven’t admitted it out loud to anyone, not even any of the other boys, but it’s true. So when, when he sent that tweet to me, I felt so heartbroken.”

Lauren feels herself slipping over the edge as she takes a fourth shot, but is listening to Louis the best she can. “Wow, Louis. I’m so sorry about that. If it’s any consolation, I know how it feels to have someone you thought loved you be rude to you.”

“You and one of the girls?” Louis questions, attempting to raise an eyebrow.

“Nah,” Lauren responds easily. Normally she thinks she probably would’ve gone on the defensive about that comment, but she’s drunk now and also trusts Louis. “I dated this guy named Brad Simpson.”

“Brad Simpson?” Louis asks. “Sounds like a character on an adult cartoon.”

Lauren laughs a little too loudly at that. “Yeah, well… he’s part of a boyband called ‘The Vamps’. Such a corny name I know. But after we broke up his bandmates Tristan and James said they ‘all had a go’ at dating me and he just sat there and let them. It was so disgusting.”

“Do you want me to call them out on Twitter?” Louis takes a smaller sip of his drink this time, apparently deciding those big sips last time were a bad idea. “According to our fans on Twitter, I have a knack for calling out knobs and ruining their careers. Just ask any member of The Wanted.”

Lauren snorts. “Nah, it’s okay. I was, and still am, pretty angry about it, but I think our fans gave him and his bandmates enough of an a** whopping on Twitter after it happened to last a lifetime.”

“Fans that take no s***,” Louis points out. “I love it. Kind of reminds me of ours.”

“Yeah,” Lauren agrees. “At least you and Zayn made up though. I don’t see me ever making up with him or any of them anytime soon, and somehow I’m okay with that.”

“As long as you’re okay with it, that’s what matters,” Louis confirms.

“Yeah…” Lauren tries, suddenly so tired. “Hey, I think I’m about ready to pass out, so I’m gonna try to go join the other girls outside. Is that alright?”

“Sure,” Louis says. “Think I’m about to do the same myself actually. Do you want me to go outside with you?”

“Why not?” Lauren shrugs. Louis ends up paying the bartender for both his and Lauren’s drinks, much to Lauren’s objections. “You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s no problem, love,” Louis tells her. “I know you said earlier the label doesn’t think you girls are doing as well as they expected, so you’re probably not getting paid half of what you deserve. I know how it goes.”

Lauren snorts. “What do you mean you know how it goes? You boys passed your people’s expectations from the very first single.”

“Yeah,” Louis agrees. “But I know how record labels work. Come on, let’s get you outside.” He takes the remainder of his glass to go, and walks outside with Lauren.

Lauren talks to the other girls for a few moments about how they’re getting home, and it turns out they’re all riding in separate cars with no extra seats for her. She grumbles, trying to turn on her phone and call somebody, but it’s dead. Of course. She laughs lightly.

“What is it, babe?” Louis asks curiously.

She shows him her phone. “Phone’s dead and the other girls can’t give me a ride home.”

Louis thinks for a moment. “I can take you home.”

“Are you sure about that?” Lauren asks, even though she can hear the tiredness in her voice and would take pretty much any offer for someone to take her home right now. “I don’t want to impose.”

“It’s really no hassle, babe,” Louis assures her. “If you’re worried that I’ll be driving in this condition or something, our body guards will be driving us back. Come on, let me take you home.”

“Okay sure,” Lauren surrenders, too drunk and tired to attempt to disagree anymore.

“Niall!” Louis shouts. “We’re leaving!”

“Aw come on, I was just starting to feel tipsy,” Niall objects, following behind Louis and Lauren.

Louis rolls his eyes. “It’s not my fault you’re Irish and have perfect tolerance levels. We’ve gotta get Lauren home. Maybe next time.”

Niall huffs, and Lauren can hear him muttering, “That’s what you say every time.”

After Louis explains the situation, Lauren tells the drivers the address she’s currently staying at while they’re in the UK, and they start going.

“Hey Lauren,” Louis says at some point in the ride. She looks up at him. “Could you give one of these lovely gentlemen who are more sober than me-” he points at the bodyguards in front of them “-your phone number? Because maybe it’s just the alcohol, but I like talking to you and want to continue being friends with you even when we’re both off on our own tours.”

Lauren smiles (or makes a face as close to a smile as she can get with this much alcohol in her). “Sure. Uh… do they have a pen and paper?” Immediately both of them pull a pen and scrap paper out of their pockets. She tells them her number, and Louis requests they write down his number and give it to her as well, which she accepts.

When they finally reach the destination, Louis and Lauren give each other a hug. “Promise to text me?” Louis pleads.

“As long as you do the same for me,” Lauren agrees. They wave goodbye and one of Louis’ bodyguards helps her get into the house safely.

After drinking water that night, Lauren goes upstairs to bed. She hopes one day, when they’re not so busy with their various messy schedules, she and Louis will hang out again – drunk or not. She hopes he and Zayn stay best friends, and that he eventually has the courage to tell him how he feels. She also thinks this is a start of a great friendship. She turns off the light, and smiles. She couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the UK.


End file.
